The Columbus journal., 1887-04-27
S0meono had aeen Parr.

for q week. Someone had e PARK
man here, someone there, and so on
An 1rishman paid his toll of l cent on
the Cambridge bridge with a new 90
bank note, and swept the change hur
riedly into his pocket without counting
it 1t was a note of the Freeman bank,
where Parkman deposited his money.
We never got any trace of that Irish.
man. The note was crisp. and would
rattle If twisted. l took it to Webster
l and asked him if hat was one of the
notes he had paid to Psrkman. He
claimed to have paid Parkman the
money, of course.
He took it in his hands. and his
arms shook so that you could hear the
ote rattle all over the room. He look
ed ut it. turned it over, the note all the
time rattling sharply. and then handed
it back. saying: No. l never saw the
note
webster was identified by a man
from whom he bought fish-hooks.
Smoke had been seen issuing from the
medical school chimney. the watchman
had seen light in the laboratory, and
ucSIu tuC oOuuu VI COdl. TtOiu y uulll.
Der of such facts it was decided 10 Ar
rest Webster. One way that he had
escaped detection 30 long was that
whenever the officers searched the med
ical school no would back up to the
privy door, where the remains were con-
cealed. and politely bow the officers
into the next room. He was 70 gentle
manly that it was hard to suspect him
ut all.
I'VE arrested him that night without
. warrant Tukey told me to turn up
my collar and wait by the medical
school on Grove street and see everyone
who went IN OF out. 1t was a magnifi-
cent night cold. but bright moonlight
In about an hour 1 saw two men come
out Oh Fruit street One of them limp
ed a little. l ran over and found that
it was Marshal Turkey and Dr. H. j.
Bigelow. They had come to surprise
me and see that l was on the watch.
Tukey ordered M to 60 to the dollhouse
on the Cambridge bridge and wait for
. carriage.
I'VE drove out to Webster's house
and there arrested him. He made no
resistance. When we got there. Mr.
Wyeth. who lived next door. was jus.
coming out of Webstcr's house. DR.
Webster WAS standing at the door mold:
ing up a candle 10 light his visitor out
Mr.. Wyeth came out and passed us
Officer Ciapp took hold of the gate.
which did not open readily. Webster
came down and opened it. We went
in. l put my back agains; the door
and Ciapp acted As spokesman. He
said: Doctor. VIC want to make one
more visit to the hospital. Mr.. Park
mans family are in great suspense
He assented readily. and that was ths
way We arrested him. On the way to
Boston Webster sat beside Inc, and we
rode with our backs to the horses. 1t
was dark in there. but l saw him put
his fingers into his vest-pockct and then
raise them to his mouth. As if he was
using 2 toOthpick. From his state after
reaching tho Jail 1 am sure that he took
q dose of strychnlnc. but owing to his
nervous state it failed TO result fatally.
He had terrible spasms. He tried to
drink some water. but couldn't do it.
His symptoms were very like those of .
man IN hydrophobia.
"As l told YOU. We had nc warrant to
arrest Webster. Judge Merrill refused
to give US a warrant rs he was Il dis
tant relative of Webster. 1 then went
to Samuel ID. Parker's house, on Mount
Vernon street, aud got a warrant from
him. We took Webster to the medical
school and asked him where he paid
Parkman the money. He took us into
the lecture-TOom. put his hand on the
end of the table. and said: Il paid him
the money there We took him down
through the laboratory to tho little store
room and confronted him with the
fragments of Parkman's remains. If
you have ever seen the scene in Mac
beth where Macbeth sees the ghost of
Banquo you a imagine the look on
Webster's face. 1t was something ter
rible to see l got home at 2 O'Clock.
and l assure you my rest was n o very
good that night.
The next day Saturday, Col. Will
lam Clapp. now proprietor of tine Jour-
nal. who was then y reporter for the
Sunday NOrning Gaz-tte. came to the
office aud asked nc questions. l told
him he would have to see MIR. Turkey, as
l could not talk about it. Mr.. Tukey
said l might give him the story. and l
did. 1 believe he got what you report
ers call an exclusive on it.
There was great excitement when
the facts became known. Many people
refused to believe that Webster was
guilty. Judge Fay, of Cambridge. would
never believe il. and he never believed
that Webster was hanged. As to that
l can testify, rs well as nan other ye-
witnesses. Marshal Turkey has been
called \ hard man. but he was too ten
d~er-hearted 10 take charge of the exe'u-
ton, and l had to do it. l had a force
of hundred men. We bulit a road
way from the Jail to the >csiIoid with
stakes anu chains. My house WAS the
second from the %ja'l-yHrd. and the
house between was flai-roofed. This
house WIS covered with people, and
others climbed up spouts and chung t
caves to see the hanging. Every con-
ceivable spot where \ view could I've
obtained was occupied. and l don't see
how the people hung on as they did.
We'll. the execution took place without
any trouble. and So ended one Of the
most remarkable cases l u the records of
the law"